| 1. Definitions | 2. Raising Feedback |
| 3. Late Complaints or Appeals | 4. Stage 1 – Informal Complaint |
| 5. Stage 2 – Formal Complaint | 6. Stage 3 – Appeal |
| 7. Templates |
This procedure should be read in line with the Student Complaints Regulations. Where there is any doubt, the Student Complaints Regulations take precedence. This Procedure is indicative of how the University will manage the Student Complaints Regulations but the University reserves the right to vary the procedure as and when circumstances warrant such a deviation.
This procedure can be used by registered Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) students only.
1. Definitions
1.1 In this Procedure:
- A Department or School responding to the complaint shall be referred to as the “Responding Party/Parties”.
- A student who submits a complaint shall be referred to as the “Student Complainant”.
2. Raising Feedback
2.1 As per 2.1 of the Student Complaints Regulations, students may raise feedback at any time during their programme by contacting (in writing or verbally) the relevant member of QUB staff. It is advised that feedback or concerns are provided in a timely manner.
2.2 Members of staff should acknowledge receipt of feedback but are not required to respond to feedback. Members of staff can choose whether or not to take action on the feedback received.
3. Late Complaints or Appeals
3.1 As per section 12 of the General Provisions Relating to Academic Appeals, Conduct, Academic Offences, Student Complaints and Fitness to Practise, complaints or appeals received after the specified deadlines will not normally be accepted. If the Student Complainant can demonstrate that they were unable to submit their complaint or appeal before the deadline due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g. hospitalisation), their complaint/appeal may be accepted. The Student Complainant must submit a written statement to this effect, along with any supporting evidence. This statement and any supporting evidence must be submitted at the same time as their complaint/appeal documentation, and should relate to the entire period from notification of the original decision/ until submission of the late complaint/appeal. Failure to submit this documentation will result in the late appeal/complaint not being accepted.
3.2 The statement and any supporting evidence detailing reasons for a late complaint/appeal will be considered by the Head of Academic Affairs (or nominee), who will determine:
- That the Student Complainant has evidenced sufficient cause for the late complaint/appeal to be accepted; or
- That the Student Complainant has not evidenced sufficient cause for the late complaint/appeal to be accepted and the complaint/appeal will not be considered. This decision is final; there is no further internal right of appeal. However, any Student Complainant who feels aggrieved by the decision may make a complaint of maladministration in the procedure to the Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman within six months of notification of this final decision.
4. Stage 1 - Informal Student Complaints
4.1 The majority of complaints can and should be resolved satisfactorily at Stage 1. This is an informal resolution process (e.g. conversation, email correspondence) and should not require extensive investigation into the allegations raised.
4.2 Where the complaint is particularly complex (e.g. involving multiple departments, requiring extensive investigation), the case will be referred to the Head of Academic Affairs (or nominee) (appeals@qub.ac.uk) to determine whether the complaint should be investigated as a Stage 2 Formal Complaint (see section 5).
4.3 Where a student has a complaint relating to any of the areas outlined in regulation 6 of the Student Complaints Regulations, they should raise it within ten working days of the incident occurring with the person involved or Head of School/Service, who shall attempt to informally resolve the matter and respond within five working days.
4.4 The member of staff dealing with the complaint should advise the Student Complainant that the complaint is being dealt with as a Stage 1 informal complaint and should keep a record of the
4.5 Where the Student Complainant is unable to discuss the matter with the individual who is subject to the complaint, it should be raised with the individual’s line manager.
4.6 If the complaint originates during a work or study placement, the Student Complainant should raise the matter with the member of staff at the workplace or institution in question who is responsible for the placement.
4.7 At the conclusion of Stage 1, the member of staff dealing with the complaint shall communicate to the Student Complainant any resolution or agreement reached and will advise the student that the informal complaint case has been closed.
4.8 Where the stage 1 informal complaint is dealt with by an individual’s line manager, at the conclusion of Stage 1, the line manager shall communicate any resolution or agreement reached to the individual who is subject to the complaint.
5. Stage 2 - Formal Student Complaint
5.1 If the Student Complainant remains dissatisfied following the conclusion of their Stage 1 complaint or if the complaint is too complex to be resolved at stage 1, the student may wish to submit a formal (Stage 2) complaint. Students wishing to submit a formal complaint must submit a fully completed Stage 2 Student Complaint Form and all supporting evidence to the Appeals, Conduct and Complaints Team (appeals@qub.ac.uk), within ten working days of the informal (Stage 1) outcome (and not later than 25 working days after first becoming aware of the incident or issues giving rise to the complaint).
5.2 All formal (Stage 2) complaints should provide sufficient details to afford a reasonable understanding of:
- the complaint,
- the residual elements of the complaint which the student considers were not addressed, or not adequately addressed at Stage 1,
- the impact upon the student, and
- the remedy sought.
Copies of any correspondence exchanged during the previous stage should also be provided.
5.3 Where the complaint was considered as a Stage 1 informal complaint and the Student Complainant subsequently submits a Stage 2 complaint, only the residual elements of the student’s complaint will be investigated.
5.4 Where the Student Complainant has not attempted to resolve the complaint informally (via Stage 1), the formal (Stage 2) complaint form must also provide an explanation as to why informal resolution is not appropriate in this case. For cases where the complaint has been referred to Stage 2 (in accordance with 4.2), the Student Complainant is not required to provide an explanation as to why informal resolution is not appropriate in this case.
5.5 Where, in the opinion of the Head of Academic Affairs (or nominee), it appears that the Student Complainant has not attempted to resolve the issues using Stage 1 of this procedure or has made insufficient attempts or has given insufficient time to resolve the issues before submitting a Stage 2 complaint, the Student Complainant will be required to attempt to resolve the issues at Stage 1.
5.6 Where a Stage 1 informal complaint is referred to Stage 2 for investigation (see 4.2), the Student Complainant may be asked to complete a Stage 2 Student Complaint Form to ensure that all required information is provided. The Student Complainant will not be expected to provide information with regards to 5.2 ii.
5.7 Screening Process for Formal Complaints and Appeals
5.7.1 Screening may apply to all stages of this Procedure and may apply to either the entirety of a complaint, or to elements of a complaint.
5.7.2 As per regulation 5.1 of the Student Complaints Regulations, where on receipt of a student complaint it is not clear that sufficient evidence has been presented to warrant investigation under the Student Complaints Regulations, the case will be sent to a Screening Panel for consideration.
5.7.3 The Screening Panel, comprising of two senior members of University staff (which may include two members of staff from Academic Affairs), will consider the complaint and supporting evidence and will determine either:
- That the evidence presented is sufficiently compelling to warrant investigation, and refer the complaint for investigation under the appropriate University regulations or procedure; or
- That the evidence presented is not sufficiently compelling to warrant investigation and reject the complaint.
5.7.4 If the Screening Panel decides to reject the complaint, the complaint will be reviewed by two senior members of staff (the Review Panel) who will either confirm the screening decision or overturn the screening decision. No further documentation will be accepted at this stage and the decision of the Review Panel shall be final. The decision is made on the basis of the evidence presented at the time, where only the opinion of the Review Panel suffices.
5.7.5 The decision of the Review Panel will be communicated to the student within eight working days of the decision being made. The outcome letter will explain the reasons for the decision made and will advise that there is no further internal right of appeal; signposting the student to their right to submit a complaint of maladministration in the procedure to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) within six months of notification of the final decision.
5.7.6 In cases where the Student Complainant has been unable to provide corroborating evidence but it is considered by the Screening or Review Panel that the nature of the complaint may constitute a serious concern regarding the wellbeing of other students, staff or visitors to the University, or regarding damage or potential damage to the University’s reputation, the complaint may be investigated in accordance with this Procedure or, as appropriate, another University procedure.
5.8 Stage 2 Formal Complaint Investigation Process
5.8.1 Where the formal (Stage 2) complaint is accepted for investigation, the formal (Stage 2) complaint shall be referred to the relevant Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor (FPVC) (or nominee) or Director of the relevant Service (Relevant Director) (or nominee). The FPVC/ Relevant Director (or nominee) shall appoint an Investigating Officer, who shall normally be a senior member of University staff, from outside the School in which the Student Complainant is enrolled or the team to which the complaint relates.
5.8.2 The Investigating Officer will decide the scope of the investigation; they shall investigate the complaint and may:
- Seek to resolve the complaint on the basis only of the written documentation submitted by the student and any evidence gathered at Stage 1 of the process; or
- Meet with the Student Complainant and/or any other members of staff or witnesses deemed appropriate by the Investigating Officer.
5.8.3 Should a meeting be required with the student, the Responding Party/Parties and/or any named witnesses, this may be carried out by telephone, face-to-face, or remotely. The Investigating Officer will ensure that those invited to a meeting are notified of the date and time of the meeting in advance, and of the purpose of the meeting. The Investigating Officer will ensure that a record of the meeting is taken.
5.8.4 Should the Student Complainant and/or Responding Party/Parties include witness statements within their investigation submission, the witnesses will be required to confirm the accuracy of their statement and will be advised that their name and the details of their statement will be disclosed to the Student Complainant and Responding Party/Parties. If a witness does not confirm the accuracy of their statement, it will not be used in evidence. In confirming the accuracy of their statement, the witness confirms that they are content for their statement to be included and shared as part of the investigation.
5.8.5 The Investigating Officer shall prepare a report of all the evidence presented, normally within 15 working days of receiving the complaint, and may make recommendation(s) to the Faculty PVC/Director (or nominee) as appropriate.
5.8.6 Following receipt of the Investigating Officer’s report, the relevant FPVC/Relevant Director (or nominee) shall make a decision in line with regulation 5.2.2 of the Student Complaints Regulations.
5.8.7 The student shall be informed by the FPVC/Relevant Director (or nominee) of the decision in writing, normally within eight working days of the decision being made. The response shall set out any proposed resolution or the reasons for not upholding the complaint. The Student Complainant will also be advised of their right to appeal the decision to the Student Complaints Appeal Panel (see section 6). The FPVC/Director (or nominee) will also inform the person against whom a complaint has been made (or any other person, as deemed appropriate) of their decision.
6. Stage 3 – Appeal
6.1 The Student Complainant shall have the right to appeal to the Student Complaints Appeal Panel against the formal (Stage 2) complaint outcome. Student Complainants wishing to appeal must submit a Stage 3 Student Complaints Appeal Form and all supporting evidence to the Appeals, Conduct and Complaints team (appeals@qub.ac.uk) within ten working days of notification of the formal (Stage 2) complaint outcome. Evidence submitted after the deadline may not be considered.
6.2 As per section 13 of the General Provisions Relating to Academic Appeals, Conduct, Academic Offences, Student Complaints and Fitness to Practise, appeals received after the deadline will not normally be accepted. Appeals to the Student Complaints Appeal Panel submitted after the specified deadline will be considered in line with the late complaints/appeals procedure detailed in section 3.
6.3 As per regulation 5.1 of the Student Complaints Regulations, where on receipt of an appeal to the Student Complaints Appeal Panel, it is not clear that sufficient evidence has been presented to warrant investigation under the Student Complaints Regulations, the case will be sent to a Screening Panel for consideration (see 5.6).
6.4 Notice of Meeting of the Student Complaints Appeal Panel
6.4.1 Where it is considered that the evidence presented is sufficiently compelling, and subject to section 6.5, the Student Complainant will be required to attend a Student Complaints Appeal Panel. The Student Complainant will be provided with five working days’ notice of the date and time of this meeting. Prior to the meeting, the Student Complainant will be provided with a copy of the paperwork to be considered.
6.5 Request to Deal with Case Summarily
6.5.1 The Student Complainant may request that the Student Complaints Appeal Panel deals with their case summarily (on the paperwork alone). However, the Chair of the Student Complaints Appeal Panel reserves the right to request additional information from the Student Complainant or to require the Student Complainant to attend in person, should this be deemed necessary in order to make an informed decision on the case.
6.6 Student Complaints Appeal Panel
6.6.1 When convened, the Student Complaints Appeal Panel (the Panel) will normally consist of three members of senior University staff (one to be Chair) and a Sabbatical Officer of the Students’ Union. At all meetings of the Panel, three members shall constitute a quorum. If the Panel cannot reach a majority decision, the Chair will have the casting vote.
6.6.2 Normally, the FPVC/Relevant Director (or nominee) and/or the Investigating Officer will attend the Student Complaints Appeal Panel meeting, where they may be asked to respond to questions the Panel may have about the case and/or the Student Complainant’s appeal. However, the Panel meeting may continue in the absence of the FPVC/Relevant Director (or nominee) and/or the Investigating Officer.
6.6.3 Where the FPVC/Relevant Director (or nominee) and/or the Investigating Officer is present at the Panel meeting, the Student Complainant, and FPVC/Relevant Director (or nominee) and/or Investigating Officer shall each be present while the other is speaking.
6.6.4 A member/members of the Education and Student Services Directorate shall normally act as Secretary for the Student Complaints Appeal Panel. The Secretary shall be responsible for:
- Oversight of the administration of the Panel’s proceedings;
- Circulating any written submissions and other relevant documents ahead of and during the Panel meeting;
- Drafting and (once approved) circulating Panel outcome letters; and
- Producing minutes as a formal record of the Panel meeting.
6.6.5 If the Student Complainant fails to attend the Panel meeting without providing valid reason for their absence in advance, the Panel reserves the right to consider the case on the paperwork alone or not to consider the case and to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.
6.6.6 The Panel will only consider the grounds for appeal submitted by the Student Complainant and will not carry out a re-hearing of the complaint.
6.6.7 The Panel may seek written evidence, including medical or other evidence, from any witness or person, who in their judgement may have relevant information to contribute and may request any person to attend the meeting to give oral evidence, where appropriate.
6.6.8 Decision of the Student Complaints Appeal Panel
6.6.8.1 The Panel will make a decision in line with regulation 6.4 of the Student Complaints Regulations. The Student Complainant will be advised of this outcome and a rationale for the decision by email to their University account within eight working days of the decision being made. The Student Complainant will be advised that there is no further right of appeal and signposted to their right to submit a complaint of maladministration in the procedure to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) within six months of notification of the final decision.
7. Templates, Forms and Guidance
The relevant templates, forms and guidance can be found at: https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/AcademicAffairs/AppealsComplaintsandMisconduct/StudentComplaints/